Pages Between Us
by happilycaptainswan
Summary: Lieutenant Duckling AU. Just baby bits to go with my gif sets on tumblr. (happilycaptainswan, click "stuff" in the sidebar.)
1. Chapter 1

Killian's walking near the forest one day when he happens across a girl fighting some trolls. He goes to help but she tells him she's got it under control before he gets knocked out by a troll. When he comes to, she's gone.

He thinks about the feisty lass a lot when he's at sea. And it's months later, when he sails back into port and the royal family are at the docks waiting to greet them after a successful mission, that he sees her again. Standing right next to the Queen.

Princess Emma.

He wonders if she remembers him and gets his answer later that night at the ball held in his and his brother's honor.

He's standing at the edge of the ballroom, scanning it for her, when someone grabs his hand and starts pulling him out of the room. He spins around quick and it's _her_.

She leads him out into the gardens. "I've been thinking about you, Lieutenant."

"About whether I was dead or alive?"

"How is it you come across a damsel in distress and end up the one needing to be saved?" She smirks at him. "And I made sure you were breathing before I left you."

"Ah, seems I owe you my life, m'lady," he says as he kisses her hand. "Thank you."

The rest of the night is a blur of golden hair, bright green eyes, her laugh and her silver dress twirling in the moonlight. He thinks this must be what heaven is like.

And it's far too soon that the ball ends. But he heads back to his ship with her kiss on his lips and a promise of tomorrow in his ear.

—

For whatever reason, she deigns him worthy of her and they are inseparable from that night on.

They spend their time sailing, walking the castle gardens, trekking through the woods… she just can't stay in. He asks why she was fighting trolls the day he met her and she says because she craves adventure.

She tells him she wants to see the world and he promises he'll show it to her one day. He tells her his brother is all he's got and she tells him he has her, too, now.

And before he knows it, her father has got another mission for him and it'll take at least six months. He doesn't want to leave her but she says what's six months when they've got eternal love.

"Come back to me," she murmurs against his lips.

"Always," he promises.


	2. Chapter 2

The life of a princess is not for Emma. She wants to be free, free to explore the world, to come and go as she pleases and not be held down by rules and traditions. Her parents are understanding but there are still restrictions.

So she sneaks out of the castle whenever she can. For walks through the forest and to the docks, watching the ships come and go, wishing she was on one.

She's passing through an unknown part of the forest one day when she comes across some trolls. They see her and think she's easy pickings but little do they know, she's quite good with the sword.

One of them manages to get a hold of her when she sees a man breaking through the clearing.

"Let her go!" He yells at the them, not seeing the troll coming up behind him.

"I've got this under control!" She yells as she wriggles free from the troll's hold. She grabs the trolls arm and gives it a knee to the gut and the hilt of her sword to his head.

When she turns around, she sees the man knocked out and the troll standing over him.

"Hey!" She yells as she throws her sword and it pierces him in the chest as he spins around.

The other two are just as easy to dispatch. She really should be more grateful her parents let her have lessons unbecoming of a princess.

She grabs her things and walks over to the unconscious man. At least, she hopes he's just unconscious.

She reaches him and pushes him onto his back and _oh_. There are many princes from other kingdoms that have tried to court her. But none of them interest her or catch her eye. But this man. Well, more like a boy. He can't be more than a year or two older than her. He, he is startling.

She gives him the once over and recognizes the navy uniform. That explains him coming to her rescue. She kneels next to him and puts her hand on his chest and can feel the steady rise and fall. Her fingers itch to run through his hair but she holds back.

Before she can stop herself, she ghosts a kiss over his lips. "Thanks, sailor," she whispers before getting up and walking back to the castle.

—

She thinks about him a lot and often finds herself at the docks. And it's not because she's looking for him or anything.

It's a couple months later when her parents tell her about a ball they're throwing for the Jones brothers, who are returning from a mission that has brought peace to the kingdoms.

She begrudgingly agrees to go meet them at the docks. And she's standing next to her mother when she sees him.

Lieutenant Killian Jones.

When their eyes meet, she wonders if there is a hint of recognition in them.

At the ball that night, she goes to find him the first chance she can get away from her many suitors. She sees him standing at the edge of the ballroom and grabs his hand. He quickly turns around and she flashes him a smile.

She leads him out into the gardens and he's standing right in front of her and he's so close and she can't believe it's him. She's thought about him for months and he's here. She's never felt like this before and she doesn't even know him.

The way he looks at her makes her heart want to beat right out of her chest. "I've been thinking about you, Lieutenant."

And when he kisses her hand, she jumps in head first like she does everything else and doesn't look back. The rest of the night is a blur of the bluest eyes she's ever seen, hopeful smiles and the soothing lilt of his voice.

She hasn't felt this happy or laughed this much in forever and when it's time to say goodnight, she tells him she'll see him tomorrow. And every tomorrow.

—

It's funny how she didn't even know she was missing something until she found him. And now that she has him, she doesn't think she can ever let him go.

He just gets her in ways that other people don't. He doesn't need her to tell him her thoughts and feelings because he just knows. He tells her she's an open book and she's his favorite book.

He takes her sailing, promising to show her the world one day and she takes him through the many paths she's carved into the forest. She's never felt happier than when she is with him.

When he tells her about his mother dying and his father abandoning him and how all he has is his brother, she tells him he has her now and she's not going anywhere.

And before she knows it, her father is sending him on a mission that will take at least six months. She tries not to think about not being with him and tells him what's six months when they've got eternal love?

It's hard to let him go but she knows he'll come back to her.


	3. Chapter 3

It gets harder and harder to leave her each time. But she is always there with open arms when he returns. After three years of missions and long separations, he becomes a captain and her father gives him his own ship, which he names the Jolly Roger.

Her father also gives him permission to marry her and tells him he no longer needs to serve.

"Are you sure, Your Majesty?"

"You make my daughter very happy, Captain. Now go. I believe she's expecting you to ask her something."

—

He takes her down by the water and they walk together in a comfortable silence. When they come to her favorite spot, he stops her.

"Emma, love, do you remember when I promised you I'd show you the world?"

"Of course, and I'm still holding you to it."

He gets down on one knee. "Killian, what are you doing?"

"Well, would you like to see the world as my wife?" He holds out her mother's ring.

She smiles the brightest smile he's ever seen and let's him slip the ring on her finger. She cups his face and pulls him up to her and kisses a "yes" onto his lips.

"I love you," he breathes into her.

"And I love you."


End file.
